15/06/2024
Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria that cause illness become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat them. This can make infections like pneumonia, strep throat, or minor injuries harder or impossible to treat. Antibiotic resistance is a public health concern that can lead to severe illness, disability, and death.
Antibiotic resistance can be caused by a natural process called genetic changes in pathogens over time. However, human activity can speed up the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, especially when antibiotics are misused or overused. For example, when antibiotics are used to treat minor conditions, the most resistant bacteria are able to survive and replicate, while the most sensitive organisms are killed quickly. This can lead to new strains of bacteria that are resistant to the current antibiotics. These bacteria are sometimes called "superbugs".
Antibiotic resistance can also be transmitted through contagious infections. If someone is infected with drug-resistant bacteria, they can pass it on to others, who may then have infections that don't respond to antibiotics.
